Overview

• RSPB records show 102 hen harriers killed or gone missing between 2020 and 2024, marking a five-year high.
• Most incidents occurred on or near grouse moors in northern England, underscoring links between the shoots and illegal persecution.
• The population decline accelerated in 2024 with breeding females down 32% from the previous year and chick fledging rates falling by 43%.
• The RSPB is urging England to introduce a licensing system for grouse shooting, modeled on Scotland’s approach that allows permits to be revoked for wildlife crime.
• Despite detailed evidence of raptor persecution, no one has been convicted in England, prompting calls for stronger regulation.